This invention relates to transmissions having external fluid coolers.
Transmissions such as industrial gear drives are capable of transmitting a large amount of mechanical power. Unfortunately, some of the transmitted power is converted to heat that may increase the transmission temperature to an unacceptably high level. Such temperatures may cause lubricating fluid within the transmission housing to deteriorate rapidly and ultimately lead to component wear or failure.
As such, many transmissions include heat dissipation components to prevent overheating. For example, some transmissions simply include a fan to provide convective cooling by blowing air over the external surfaces of the transmission housing. However, these heat dissipation systems, despite being structurally simple and relatively inexpensive, are typically ineffective for significantly decreasing the transmission temperature unless they are much larger than the transmission itself.
As another example, some transmissions include external radiators or heat pipes having internal chambers to accommodate the lubricating fluid and permit cooling outside of the transmission housing. Like the fan systems described above, relatively large radiators, e.g., those having a relatively large surface, are most effective for cooling a transmission. As such, the most effective heat dissipation components can significantly increase the space required for a transmission.
Considering the drawbacks of previous designs, a transmission having improved heat dissipation components is needed.